Well, well, well, folks! Looks like AJ Francis, the man who could have given a yo-yo lessons on how to bounce back, finally has something shiny to put on his trophy shelf. This Sunday night in Newport, Kentucky, during TNA’s “Impact” tapings, Francis pinned Laredo Kid to become the new TNA Digital Media Champion. Yes, you heard it right – the man once known as Top Dolla now holds a title that has “digital” in it, and it’s not just a fancy name for his mixtape.
Now, Francis’ journey to this golden moment reads like a Shakespearean comedy, complete with NFL beginnings, WWE releases (plural, because one just wasn’t enough), and some rather cringe-worthy in-ring escapades that probably made even the referees blush. But, persistence pays off, and Francis’ persistence paid in gold – TNA gold.
The victory over Laredo Kid marks Francis’ first major championship win in his wrestling career. It’s still a mystery whether we’ll see this triumph on this week’s TNA episode or next week’s, but one thing’s for sure: it’s happening, and it’s not a glitch in the matrix.
In case you haven’t been keeping up with your TNA bingo card, Francis joined the promotion in January and has since been on a winning spree that even your grandma’s lucky bingo dauber couldn’t match. With a record of four wins out of five matches and a budding tag team, First Class, with former TNA World Champion Rich Swann, Francis is climbing the TNA ladder faster than a cat up a tree.
On the flip side, Laredo Kid’s reign as the Digital Media Champion was cut shorter than a commercial break. His 28-day tenure now holds the dubious honor of being the shortest in the championship’s three-year history. He won the title from Crazzy Steve and managed a single defense against KC Navarro before meeting his match in Francis. I guess Laredo Kid’s title run was more of a sprint than a marathon.
Congratulations to AJ Francis! Here’s to hoping he keeps this title longer than his WWE stints – but hey, at least this time he’s got something golden to show for it.